Narrative:Vnukovo Airlines flight 838 was seized by a hijacker during a domestic flight between Makhachkala, Dagestan, and Moscow. The hijacker claimed to have an explosive device, with which he threatened to blow up the plane, and demanded to be taken to Israel. The plane, a Tu-154 aircraft with 49 passengers and 10 crew members, landed at Baku, Azerbaijan, for refueling. While at Baku the hijacker demanded only fuel and maps and refused to negotiate, and the plane departed after about two hours. Although there was only one hijacker, confusion existed as to whether others were on board and what their motive was. Because the plane departed from Dagestan, it was thought that there might be a connection to the fighting in Chechnya.Israeli authorities initially denied permission for the plane to land at Tel Aviv because of fears that it might be blown up over the city. Because the pilot sounded "very pressured" and because of the plane's low fuel supply, authorities permitted the aircraft to land at the Uvda Air Force Base in the Negev Desert. An Israeli Air Force plane escorted the hijacked plane to the base. The hijacker surrendered upon landing. It was then discovered that he was alone and that his "bomb" was a blood pressure gauge. The hijacker told authorities that he was fighting against world domination by Asians and that he wanted to deliver a message to the Japanese emperor.The plane, its passengers and crew, and the hijacker were returned to Russia.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.